Biggest Surprise I've Had In a While, Loved Every Minute

Rating: 9/10 (1 August 2013)

For those who may think this is a Transformers ripoff only because of giant robots, let me tell you that this film is far better than any of Michael Bay's crap lately. The first Transformers film was the only remotely good one, but even this film tops that. Guillermo del Toro's films have always been a favorite of mine (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy 2, and so on), and I trusted that with his hand behind this giant robot vs giant monster plot, that it would be good. 2 hours later, I was taken completely back.
Pacific Rim is simply, wait for it, AWESOME. The effects and animation on the Jaegers and Kaiju are phenomenal, and the fight scenes are some of the best giant creature fights you've ever seen. You can actually tell what's happening, and see every devastating blow these beast lay out on each other. And the acting is rather good too, thank God we didn't have to put up with a Lebouf performance, and Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, and Rinko Kikuchi deliver excellently as the three main leads. The story, though I don't want to give anything away, is told very well, and is easy to keep up with (unlike a clusterf*** like Transformers 2) and actually manages to tug at a few heartstrings, especially during a very well done and unsettling scene with a young girl in hong Kong in a flash back.
Point is, go see this movie. Belay any negative comments you've heard about it. If everyone gave this a chance, there's something in this movie that they would all enjoy from any aspect of it. Amazing effects and fight scenes, good solid acting and characters, fun story, all rolled into one to make (until part 2 of the Hobbit) my favorite film so far this year.
9/10 Pacific Rim